First car help

[Wolfattak]

well this year I turn 16 and i have a bit of money saved up right now and will probably be buying my first car within the next year so...

I mainly want something that handles very well (I plan to do autox and maybe drifting once I have mor experience)

I don't want a powerful car, but I'd like something I could grow with.

any suggestions

Personally I love the ae86s (not because of initial d)
I'm thinking I could swap in an sr20det

[GTR-guy]

I would suggest an FB RX-7. I used to own a 1985 GS and I loved it! It looked awesome, fun to drive and the 12A carburated Rotary engine was very reliable. I hopw I can have another one of them some day!

[Caithness]

Ditch the AE86 all together. The chances of you finding one in decent condition and at a decent price is next to impossible...so you'd be settling on a beater with an Initial D price tag to boot. On-top of that AE86's are severely underpowered and aren't exactly good drift cars like so many people tend to believe they are.

FB RX-7 is a brilliant and much better choice...the FB's are super sexy, super overlooked, and super fun, they come stock with an LSD and are light enough to throw around with little power. Find the right owner and you can pick a decent one up for under 1K sometimes.

That or a 240SX, the prices are coming down and you can play with them like crazy for little money.

Don't swap an SR20DET in right away though, have fun with the KA first, beat on it, break it, fix it, learn from it. You're just 16, so get your hands dirty and make mistakes on the KA engine. It's cheap, cheap, cheap to repair and play with and has some decent power for what it is to boot.

Then a few years down the road maybe when you have some cash saved up and and a little more knowledgeable with engines, decide on an SR or a rebuilt KA-T and really sink your teeth into it.

It's a journey, and skipping steps will only hurt you down the line. You should be able to play around with your first car, not go broke and confused on it.

[raijin-xiii]

You should be able to play around with your first car, not go broke and confused on it.

tell that to my '96 eclipse. POS DSM lmao..:hit newb:

good advice though!

anyway, you just have to think about what you're able to afford, first of all. get your insurance quotes etc all done. 240 would, from my guess, be the cheapest to maintain due to it's domestication (ie you can actually go to NAPA or crappy tire, give them your make/model and not have them say "it's not in the system, sorry" and then wait for parts from japan at huge crappy exchange rates and shipping fees, etc.) and insurance companies won't be like "wtf" because you're not RHD --> belairdirect.com gives best rates.

anyway, in the end just follow your own feelings about the whole thing. I spend literally every penny I had when I bought my GTR at the age of 18, and even though I'm contemplating selling it because it really isn't a great decision holding onto a car that takes all of my money though parts, insurance, gas and depreciation even if I didn't drive it along with I'm in college, I don't regret the purchase because I love it so much.

so yep. follow your feelings, purpose and hold your priorities. keep us updated on your findings!

[CanadianGTR]

FB RX-7 GSL-SE. FI 13b, bit more rare but well worth it IMO.

[TM]

FB RX-7 GSL-SE. FI 13b, bit more rare but well worth it IMO.

Try finding one without holes in it... not likely...

[falcon]

lol, never thought the day would come that someone said a rotary could be reliable.

I know the 12a's are, but every time I say it... someone laughs as me.

[Wolfattak]

definately wasn't planning on swaping in an sr anytime soon. It's funny that you guys say fb. I have a guy down my street with two mint fbs (one I believe has no motor in it) but one is for sale, running, mint, been for sale for a while.

as a side note, the guy drives a Figaro, the most mint car you'll ever see. Some BC guys might know it the licence plate says figlet. All bow down to the beautiful figlet :bow down: :bow down:


Just for a bit of background on myself. I have a lot of experience with motors. I have done a few swaps with trucks before and am currently rebuilding a 2l 4cyl mitsubishi turbo motor from an eagle talon tsi.

a few things I have decided on my own that I don't want is a rotary as I don't like the powerband of the rotary engines. and I also definately want fuel injection. Odds are I will swap an sr20 or I will want to turbo the motor (one of the 2) so fuel injection would be preferred.

[TM]

Just buy a 240... relatively cheap, partsa are readily available and you can still find ones in decent condition in Canada...

Just please make sure you check it over well before buying... educate yourself on the spots prone to rust and rot...

[Murphy]

Fully agree with Caithness ...

note that the only FB to come with LSD was the GSL-SE (yay for getting alphabet soup in my posts), and those will normally need a rebuild (but are good after that)

(extra line for (more) parentheses)

but yeah just get a 240

if you want to import, and that is not a bad idea, you could get an S14 Q's

[Wolfattak]

I think I'll probably end up with a 240... ka-t

[doublejceballos]

go 240
parts are dime a dozen

[2501]

I would also go for a 240sx. Cheap parts, fun car to drive and possibility to grow with a SR20 or even RB(very costly).

I started out with a 3000GT, I wish I got a rwd car like a 240 or rx7. But I have no regret, it put me in the seat of a AWD TT stealth.

[ARC240]

240SX all the way dude. I bought mine when I was 15, took me a while to find one that was in good condition (no rust), but I don't regret buying it. Be careful with what parts you buy, although some (not all) are a dime a dozen, it's still very easy to fall victim to a cheap, unreliable, knockoff part. There are however some k/o parts that are well engineered and will withstand just about anything. Basically, what I mean is that you can save money where it's ok to be saved, but anything major I wouldn't cheap out on.

For engine swap, your best bang for buck is probably the SR20DET, only because parts are a lot cheaper than RB, speaking from experience having to order parts for myself (RB) and my friends (SR), there IS a considerable price difference between the two. You can have an SR making some nice numbers with relatively no work as well. Helps a lot that the SR20 is straight bolt-in too, saves a considerable amount of coin, especially if working on a tight budget.

Rust spots/things to be weary of: Because the 240SX is a relatively old car (being anywhere from 89-98), expect to have to replace some things on the car once you get it. As for rust spots...when looking at a 240SX, make damn sure you get under that car, don't just look for rust either, feel around for it. The most common spots for rust are on the passenger and driver side frame rails closest to the engine compartment (where your heels would rest, shown below).


The second spot where rust usually inhabits is on the tops (closest to outside of fender) and inner sides (closes to engine near the bottom of the tower) on the front strut towers. Shown below:


Lastly...check and feel for doorjamb metal hardness, 240SX's are known for rusting out there. Shown below.


Hope this helps dude!

If you need help with an S-chassis, shoot me a PM and I'll do my best, I wont tell you to use the search button either, unlike those dreaded S-chassis forums either :hit_head:. LOL

[DeviantRebel442]

i would say 240....

a GTR or GTS at 16 is rough...i have a gtr and im 18...got it when i was 17...money is always an issue...